With Arms Wide Open
by half-goddess-Katia
Summary: Kenshin thoughts the night that Kaoru gives birth to Kenji. He thinks about what he wants for his son and wife.


With Arms Wide Open 

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or the song "With Arms Wide Open."

Please read and review me! Tel me if you think this is good, bad, or whatever you think!

_**Well I just hear the news today**_

_**It seems my life is going to change**_

_**I closed my eyes, begin to pray**_

_**Then tears of joy stream down my face**_

Kenshin stood nervously in the waiting room of Ms. Megumi's hospital. His new wife was now in labor. Kaoru was giving birth to their son. He could only hope that she would survive the strenuous task of child labor.

_Please, God, I know I don't deserve it, but please let Kaoru get through this all right. Please let her give birth to our child without trouble and live happily._ He prayed as he paced nervously back and forth. He couldn't sit still, he was too nervous. So many worst-case scenarios kept flashing through his head. What if something had happened to his wife during the delivery? What if one or both of them died? He couldn't stop all the worst things from running through his head.

Then, suddenly and thankfully he heard the unmistakable cry of a baby, and without his consent, a few tears slipped out. Tears to show the joy at the fact that his child had been born healthy, that some of his worst fears had not come true.

**_With arms wide open_**

_**Under the sunlight**_

_**Welcome to this place**_

_**I'll show you everything**_

_**With arms wide open**_

_**With arms wide open**_

Ms. Megumi walked out from the room with a smile on her face.

"Kaoru's fine," she said in hushed tones, "she's just resting. You can see her now, but let her rest. She just gave birth to you're beautiful baby son."

Kenshin nodded, silently thanking his old friend for the reassurance, and quietly slid the door open and stepped into the room where his wife lay. He was greeted by the sight of his exhausted wife holding their newborn son.

_**Well I don't know if I'm ready**_

_**To be the man I have to be**_

_**I'll take a breath, I'll take her by my side**_

_**We stand in awe, we've created life**_

He approached Kaoru silently, careful to not make any noise in case she was indeed asleep as Megumi had said she might be. To his surprise, however, she was awake. She was drifting slightly, but she awake all the same.

"Kenshin, isn't he beautiful?" she asked as she held out their son so Kenshin could see him properly. And for the first time, Kenshin gazed down at their new child.

At first glance the young boy now sleeping in the plain white cloth appeared to be a baby version of Kenshin, with the bright red head of hair he'd been born with the likeness was obvious. But Kenshin himself could see subtly hints of Kaoru in their new son.

"What is his name?" Kenshin asked, looking at his wife. He would let her decide what to name newborn babe, after all she was the one who went through the most to bring him into this world.

"His name is Kenji," Kaoru said sleepily after a moment of thought. Shortly after saying this, she drifted off into a restful slumber.

_**With arms wide open**_

_**Under the sunlight**_

_**Welcome to this place**_

_**I'll show you everything**_

_**With arms wide open**_

_**Now everything has changed**_

_**I'll show you love**_

_**I'll show you everything**_

_**With arms wide open**_

_**With arms wide open**_

_**I'll show you everything…oh yeah**_

_**With arms wide open…wide open**_

"Kenji," Kenshin repeated softly as he gazed down at the miracle of life he now held cradled in his arms.

He gazed down at his son in awe, amazed that someone like him could create such a precious one as the little child he now held in his arms. Now he only had to worry about being the man he needed to be to raise Kenji. He had to learn many thing that he'd never even thought of before, but he sense that it would all be worth it in the end.

_**If I had just one wish**_

_**Only one demand**_

_**I hope he's not like me**_

_**I hope he understands**_

_**That he can take this life**_

_**And hold it by the hand**_

_**And he can greet the world**_

_**With arms wide open…**_

Kenshin himself was so glad that the war was over for him. That he and his family could live in the peace he knew that they so deserved. He hadn't had to fight or draw his sword since months before Kaoru and his wedding. He hoped that his days as a swordfighter were over, so there was no chance that his son would end up like he had.

He didn't want Kenji to have to endure the horrors he had as a small child. Kenshin didn't want any child to suffer through that kind of torment, but it seemed all the more important with his own son. He never wanted Kenji to have to draw a blade in a life or death situation, or see anyone, stranger or otherwise, slain in front of him.

As if knowing the contents of his father's mind, little Kenji opened his eyes to reveal clear blue orbs, another trait from his mother. The young child raised up one tiny hand and grabbed a lock of Kenshin's fiery hair, so like to his own. He gently tugged on the lock and cooed happily before closing his eyes in happy slumber again.

Smiling gently, Kenshin somehow knew that, while not perfect, Kenji would at least have a happy home. He would do everything and anything in his power to make sure of that. He knew the war for peace wasn't completely over, but that didn't mean that there wasn't still fighting. Kenshin would keep Kenji from that fighting at all costs.

Kenshin looked down at his now slumbering son and prayed to any deity that would listen for the strength to survive what lay ahead. He prayed for the strength to protect his friends and family. He prayed as he never had before for any being that would listen to heed his prayer and keep his family and friends alive and healthy.

_**With arms wide open**_

_**Under the sunlight**_

_**Welcome to this place**_

_**I'll show you everything**_

_**With arms wide open**_

_**Now everything has changed**_

_**I'll show you love**_

_**I'll show you everything**_

_**With arms wide open**_

_**With arms wide open**_

_**I'll show you everything…oh yeah**_

_**With arms wide open…wide open**_

Kenshin carefully lay Kenji down in the cradle that he'd bought in town not a whole month ago and tucked him into several layers of cloth to soften the hardness of the wood. He gazed at his son for a few seconds more before turning and tucking the covers up around his now fully asleep wife. Silently as not to wake either one of them, he took up his position beside the door so he could react quickly should anything threaten his family, but somehow he felt that at least for now that wouldn't be necessary. He felt that for a while at least, he could rest with ease, knowing that everything would be all right. And so he did.

AN: Like I said, please tell me what you think!


End file.
